𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞

thirteen

ashton;

i waste no time putting on shoes. i instantly run after him. he's very fast on his feet.
"luke! don't run! it's not safe for you out there!" i yell out to him
but he doesn't listen. the slap of his vans echo on the asphalt beneath him.
"LUKE! don't do this! you need to come back home right now." i yell again, but my throat becomes dry

and he disappears before my eyes. the rough, gravelly street is painful on my bare feet.

you can't give up ashton, you need to find him.

3 hours later...

after 3 long, painful hours, i finally see a familiar figure in the distance sitting on the curbside. his legs are sprawled out on the pavement, his hands covering his face.

this feels like déjà vu.

"luke!" i call out

he turns around and i catch a glimpse of his eyes. tears stain his washed-out cheeks, his eyes puffy and bloodshot. his body trembles as he turns back around, almost as if he's scared to see me.
"luke! my god, i've been looking everywhere for you," i cry
he turns back around and finally gives in, hugging me firmly.

"y-you're here," he whispers in disbelief
"you scared me to death luke, something could've happened to you. please promise me that you won't ever do this again!" i divulge

more tears run down his cheeks, his chin trembling. a look of pure fear is swimming around in his eyes. his breath hitches, and the occasional hiccup eascapes his dry bloody lips. his eyes became so red and swollen from all of wiping. i gently caress his pasty cheeks, wiping away the tears as they trace down his red skin.
"let's get you home lukey," i whisper

"we've gotta clean you up luke," i say, running my hand across his shoulder blades
i lay him down on the bed gently and begin to pull off his clothes that are covered in dirt.
"ow a-ashton t-that hu-ahh," he cringes, wincing in pain
"well maybe you wouldn't be in so much pain if you didn't run away from me," i say in a nasty tone. i immediately regret my words because more tears form in his eyes.
"i'm sorry baby, i shouldn't have said that, i know it hurts, i know. but i'm gonna clean you up and cuddle you after your bath yeah?" i say, hoping that he'll forget my harsh words.

he nods reluctantly, holding his arms out for me. i reach down and pull him up so that his body is against mine and his legs are wrapped around my waist. his almost naked body is warm against mine, giving me a tingly feeling in my stomach. he buries his head into the crook of my neck, sniffling softly as i carry him to the bathroom.
"i've got you," i whisper

i fill the bathtub with warm soapy water. it feels like ages, waiting for the water to fill to the perfect amount. for a while, there's just thick silence. i can feel the luke's burning stare into my back as we wait. finally, it's ready.

"be careful as you get in, watch your step, ashton's got you," i remind him, his hand in mine.
he lowers his lanky exhausted body into the bath slowly. i take the pink bottle of body wash and lather the thick soap onto the washcloth.
he leans back, closing his almond eyes in relief. i lean down and scrub his body gently. he holds his breath and clenches his eyes so tightly so that no soap or water will run in.
"it's ok! the water won't get in," i mutter, laughing as he opens his eyes. his mouth forms a small smile in acknowledgment.
his eyelashes clump together, little water droplets clinging on to them.

after the bath that felt like hours, i pull him out of the tub and wrap him gently in his towel.
he mutters a small "thank you," in return, and i reply with a quick kiss to his forehead.
"of course,"

woah. double déjà vu...

•-•-•-•

2 weeks later...

the morning comes faster than i expect. i turn to my side to find luke underneath the covers, his hair in a mess, snoring softly with a bit of drool spilling from his lips. i chuckle quietly to myself as i carefully get out of bed. the sunlight peeks through the windows casting light strips on the wooden floor. the living room is eerily quiet, almost too quiet. not even the birds are singing.

huh. something feels off today...whatever it's probably nothing.

i check the clock.

6:42 a.m.

why am i up so early?

i don't think too much about it and carry on with my regular morning routine. i prepare a pot of coffee for the two of us, and take out an egg and a plastic container of fruit from the fridge. i wash the berries throughly in the sink and pour the contents in a bowl. i fetch a skillet from the cabinet and place it on the stove.
soon enough, my breakfast is done.

but why does everything feel so off today?
before i know it, the door creaks open and a groggy luke comes out.
"goodmorning sleepyhead," i snicker as he walks towards me clumsily.
"hi," he murmurs, wrapping his arms around my shoulders with his chin on my head.
"how did you sleep?" i inquire, finishing up my breakfast.
"well, it was ok. i woke up a few times during the night," he says, spacing out
"well breakfast is reading whenever you'd like it," i say
"thank you," he whispers with a slight smile

all of a sudden, a loud pounding comes from outside the door, causing luke and i to jump, his utensils clattering to the floor. adrenaline courses through my body, my stomach gets hot.

who the hell is pounding on the door this early in the morning?!

reluctantly, i peer through the peep hole to find a very distraught man with red, cross-eyed bloodshot eyes. his eyes are crinkled and tired, his hair is a bird's nest upon his head.

"EXCUSE ME?! PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!"

luke gasps, frozen.

"no,no,no,no. i can't do this ashton." he begins, choking on his sobs.
the pounding continues, this time, even harsher than before.

"SOMEBODY PLEASE OPEN UP!!" the voice shouts again.

it's luke's dad.

his voice is deep and raspy, the kind that sends shivers down your spine. panicking, i slam my back against the door and a loud thud sounds.
"shït," i mutter under my breath
across the room, luke's heavily panting, tugging on his hair and choking on his sobs.
"luke, luke breathe sunshine. i'm going to handle this, go into the bedroom," i demand, crawling over to him, leading him to the bedroom and shutting the door.

"SH-OPEN UP R-RIGHT NOW!!" he growls, slurring his words
i take one final, shaky breath before opening the door.

another chapter! what do you think will happen next? vote and comment!
i love u
xoxo,
-lu <3